Presently, door holders and stops are known for keeping doors held open at a predetermined angle. The known door holders and stops include an arm, one end of which is pivotally attached to a slide. The other side is attached to a door frame. A channel located in a track, which is attached to a door, provides a guideway for the slide. Normally, on one end of the track, there is a thumb wheel positioned to rotate to engage or disengage a pawl against a hook, which is on the slide. The pawl and the hook provide a locking mechanism for locking the slide against further movement on the track. In this manner, the door is held in an open position. Although this is helpful in some instances, there is no mechanism on the door stop for keeping the door shut in a closed position.
Also previously known are many types of door latch mechanisms. The most well known door latch mechanisms include the traditional reciprocating latch bolt type, where a door knob is rotated to unlatch a latch bolt, or a push down type where handle is pushed down to unlatch the latch bolt. Installation of a standard door latch can include drilling a first hole through the thickness of the door for the door knob and drilling a second hole perpendicular to the first hole for the latch mechanism. Also, part of the door frame may need to be mortised and chiseled away to properly position a receiving plate for the latch. Once the drilling is finished, installation of the actual latch can begin and involves fastening various portions of the door latch in place, and making exact measurements as to where the door latch will be. This is an exacting process that can be difficult to master and is time consuming. Therefore, there is a need for a door retaining mechanism that is easy to install and use.
A first object of the present invention to provide an improved door holder and stop which can hold doors shut while in a closed position.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved retaining mechanism for a door which replaces a conventional reciprocating latch.
Finally, it is another object of this invention to provide an improved retaining mechanism for a door which is easy to operate and install.